Side clutch type slidable side jaw wrench



Oct. 26, 1954 K. F. FINN I SIDE CLUTCH TYPE SLIDABLE SIDE JAW WRENCH Filed March 19, 1953 IN VEN TOR. KEN/v5 777 H F/A/xv.

Patented Oct. 26, 1954 U N IT E Di EZ'SZE SIDECDUTCH TYPE SLIDABLE" SIDE J AW WRENCH Kenneth E Finn,

Omaha, Nebr.

Appli'oa-tion'Mareh lil, 1953; S'erial'No: 343,399

1 "Claime- (Cl.

Still another object is to provide a wrench having at least one movable jaw and a station ary jaw, a worm or other manual device. to"- adjust the movable jaw, a'lever or 'other'mechanical torque-applying means," a clutch'vbetween the 1 manual device and the torque-applying. means,

the clutch being engageable andidisengageable to permit the mechanical torque-applyingimeans= to apply torque to the manualdeviceor Worm only at desired times, and to permitfree manual operation at other times.

Yet a further object is to providevarwrench as described in which the worm rotatessin'union'. with an axle, and in which a.lever'isiprovided: and is attachedto the'axle; the-lever liavingz a clutch means cooperative with clutch? means on? said axle wherebysaid lever can beused' to rotate said: aXle only at desired times A further object is to-provide :an .imIJI'OVBdSiWaYT" of "securing an axle to' a worm .in ;this'1type:of1a; wrench.

Another object is to make possible the-placing; of the lever in astorageposition alongsidethe: handle at a time when the jawsaresclamped'upon1 an object.

Other and further objects and advantages of thewpresent invention ,willlee-apparent from the following detailed description, drawings: and. claim, the scope of the invention not beingalimited'to the drawings themselves-as 'the drawings: are only for the purpose; of illustrating. a Way; inzwhichthe principles of this invention-can be? applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing: the same or equivalentprinciples may bevused and'structural changes may be-made as desired? by those skilled in the art without departingvfrom: the present invention and. the? purviewofrthe: appended claim.

the drawings: I

Figure 1 is a side elevation of. theewrench'zof" this invention, dotted lines showing an outer p'osi Figure Zi-"ls'ian enlargeddetailofthe lever'portion of the? wrenchwith at portion. of: the lever broken away Figure 3 tisfi -an enlarged detailsid'e'viewof:anv

axleior-theworm:

Figure his azzleft endrviewcofithe axle ofFigure-S.

Figure 5- is:- across: section :of I theworm'- Figure 6 isa' left end view of the: worm:

lever: completely shown;

A conventional lslidablexside :j aw Wrench is generally indicated? by the numeral I0? iniEigures 1' and ih'as' anelongated handle 1 I 2. having a head; portion M attacheditotthe: handle [2: at one end engaging surface: I 8 whichLiszdis'posed Fextendingx outwardly; from the head. I la The head portion: I4 hasua1worm':opening24'" extendingsr generally transversely. to the: workengagingssurfa'cei l8; andianzad justing wormtZBi is providedin the opening:- A slidablesidejanv: 28 is provided opposite the fixedtjaw lfiiand'the slidable 1-jaw '28..hasa? work-engaging surface. 30.

Thesurfaces v I 8- 1 and 30 can have teeth: 32 if desiredf As' is. old'iandzwell known, the slidable jaw '28 has a row of teeth 36 enga'geable-by the worm 2B for manual control otthe'slidable'jaw '28? center opening 54 of thewor-m- 261 5D has a wall, best-described as generally cylindricalwhichhas-an inwardly protruding por tion'58' for engaging the flat surface'of the axle M2 The axle 40 hasa portion which is disposedcentrally-and totlie right of the portion 42,- the portion BU b'eing' round 'in crosssection and the worm' 26 having a round right end portion of complementary: shape and'v size. As r thus described;' it 'will b'e seen' thatwhen'the axle 40 1sin the'worm opening- 5 1 ashoulder=*68 on tlie axle will engage the righthandsid of the pro trusion 58.

A transverse opening rindicated in dottedr'lines at 1 0 extends-transversely into: the axle= lflz from" the flat surface 44 for receiving a spring 12. The latter urges outwardly on a ball 16 which fits in the outer end of the opening 10. The outer end of the opening I is peened inwardly around the outermost portions of the ball to hold the ball in place. The ball extends partially outwardly of the opening I0 and is adapted to engage against the left hand side of the protrusion 58 for holding the axle in the worm.

The left hand end of the worm is provided with a large bore 84, preferably of greater diameter than the right hand portion 66 of the opening 50, the bore 80 forming a portion of the opening 54.

At its right hand end the axle 40 has a head portion 88 of larger diameter than the remainder, the head portion 88 being of cylindrical shape. To the left of the head 88 the axle 00 has a clutching portion 90 of a suitable clutching configuration of a non-round nature such as, for example, a square cross section as best seen in Figure 4.

In accordance with this invention the wrench is provided with torque-applying means such as a lever generally indicated at 92 having a portion at its end nearest the worm of a preferably cylindrical shape as shown at 96 in Figure 2. The end portion 96 has a hollow interior having a first portion 98 at the right hand end thereof which is of cylindrical shape for rotatably and snugly receiving the head 88 of the axle 40.

To the left of the cylindrical portion 98 is a clutching portion I00 of the hollow interior, the portion I00 having any suitable clutching configuration complemental to the clutching configuration of the portion 90 of the axle, preferably having the shape of an eight-pointed star as best seen in Figure '7. The configuration of the clutching portion I00 is in cross section the same as the outline of two squares disposed one on top of another, one square being at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the other, and the squares each being of a size of the square cross section of the clutching portion 90.

It will be understood that the clutching configuration can be of any complemental shape engageable in at least one and preferably more rotational positions.

Referring to Figure 2, the interior of the end portion 96 has a portion H0 at its left hand end which is of cylindrical shape on its wall complemental to the portion 60 of the axle 40 for a snug rotatable fitting.

At the other end of the elongated lever 92 a bore I I2 is provided for receiving a spring H0 and a ball I I6 similar to that of the axle, the bore being longitudinally of the lever whereby the ball is iuged toward a recess I20 in the adjacent side surface of a boss I22 which is attached to the side of the elongated handle I2 of the wrench at the end of the lever 92 for receiving the lever when it is in a position of rest.

When the wrench is assembled the worm 26 is put in place and the axle 40 is placed through the hollow interior of the end 98 of the lever as shown in Figure l and the axle A0 is caused to extend through an opening I50 in the head I0 which opening extends axially of the worm 20 and connects the opening 24- with a recess I52.

The recess I52 enters the head I4 from that side thereof which is adjacent the lever 92 and extends inwardly a short distance for receiving the left hand end of the head portion 96 of the lever. For this purpose the recess I52 has a cylindrical wall complemental to the exterior of the cylindrical end portion 96 of the lever 92.

The innermost end portion 42 of the axle extends into a recess I10 which enters the head I4 from the other wall of the opening 24, the recess I10 being disposed axially of the worm 26 and being complementally shaped and of a size for rotatably receiving the end portion 42 of the axle portion 40.

As thus described, it will be seen that as shown in Figure 1 the wrench can be manually adjusted by the worm 26, and that a pulling of the lever 92 away from the worm 26 axially will cause the clutching wall I00 to engage the clutching portion for the operation of the worm 26 by rotating the axle 40 with the lever 92.

Also, after the jaws have been set on an object it is possible to move the lever 92 inwardly whereby the clutching portions disengage and the lever can be rotated into a position for engagement of the ball I I0 with the recess I 20 to maintain the lever in a rest position.

It will be seen that a means for securing the lever 92 to the axle 40 is provided by the particular shape of the inner end of the lever and of the outer end of the axle. More particularly, the wall of the clutching portion I00 of the lever is of an eight-pointed star shape. The portions of the wall I09 which extend inwardly so constrict the opening at the clutch portion I00 as to be smaller than the comparatively larger head portion 88 of the axle 40.

Still more specifically, the head portion 88 is of a diameter complemental to the diameter of the cylindrical portion 98 of the lever, whereby the head portion 86 closely fits the cylindrical portion 98. Assembly is effected by passing the lever 92 over the inner end of the axle 40. Thereafter, the inner end of the axle 40 is inserted into the opening I50 in the head Id of the wrench, through the worm 26 and into the recess I10.

Referring to Figure '7, it will be seen that the clutching portion I00 has a plurality of inwardly extending ridges. The distance from any one of these ridges to the diametrically opposite ridge is less than the diameter of the head portion 88 of the axle 40.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a side clutch type adjustable wrench constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

In a slidable side jaw wrench provided with an elongated handle, a head portion attached to said handle at one end thereof, a fixed jaw protruding outwardly from said head portion, said fixed jaw having a work engaging surface, said head portion having a worm opening therethrough extending generally transversely to said wort: engaging surface; a slidable jaw cooperating with the stationary jaw for gripping an object, teeth on the slidable jaw extending into said worm opening; an adjusting worm disposed in said opening and cooperating with the movable jaw teeth in moving the movable jaw with respect to the stationary jaw, the axis of said worm being in parallelism with the sliding mo- 3 tion of said jaw, the improvement which consists of: an axle for the worm rotatably mounted in said head portion and extending from said worm through one side of said head; means looking said axle and worm together for simultaneous rotation of said axle and worm; a lever having an opening therethrough receiving the outer end of said axle which extends beyond said head; means for securing said lever to said axle, said lever and a portion of the exterior of said outer end of said axle having complementary clutching and de-clutching portions, whereby said lever can be engaged with said axle for applying torque thereto, or can be disengaged from said axle for permitting the free manual movement of said worm at other times.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 14,779 Rowe Apr. 29, 1856 1,280,711 Glave Oct. 8, 1918 1,456,290 Tell May 22, 1923 2,596,266 McEnroe May 13, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 87,607 Switzerland Dec. 16, 1920 

